Whiffletree attachment.



No. 7l6,532. Patented Dec. 23, I902.

J. HAFEB, SR. WHIFFLETREE ATTACHMENT.

(Applicatiun flEed June 19, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UTTn STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES HAFER, SR, OF AUGUSTA, KENTUCKY.

WHIFFLETREE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,532, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed June 19, 1902. serial No. 112,391. (No od l.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HAFER, Sr. a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Bracken and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Whiffletree Attachment, of which the following, is a specification.

This invention relates to attachments to whiftletrees for the purpose of retaining the traces in position thereon and preventing their accidental disengagement.

The object of the invention is to produce a cheaplyconstructed and positively-acting and secure device which will not only secure the trace upon the whiftletree, but will prevent any accidental displacement and will not ofier any obstructions to any part of the vehicle or harness and will not detract from the appearance of the vehicle or require any change to be made therein in attaching the device.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction,as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, of one end of a whiflietree with the improvement applied. Figs. 3 and 4 are detached perspective views of the two parts comprising the improvement.

The device is applicable to any form of whiftletree for vehicles whereina vertical perforation is provided near the outer ends for the insertion of the usual holding-straps or other similar means for holding the trace in position.

The device consists in a spring-plate, preferably formed of one single piece, with a portion bent or folded over upon itself and secured to the whiffletree a short distance from the vertical aperture above mentioned and with means in the free end of the upper portion adapted to support a hook having an extended pin engaging the aperture, the springplate serving not only to pivotally support the hook, but also to yieldably hold it in its closed and also in its open position. The whiftietree is represented at 10, with the vertical aperture 11 near its outer end. The spring-plate is formed with the base portion 12, having the upper portion 13 integral therewith and bent over upon the portion 12, as

shown. Screws 14 15 will secure the springplate in place upon the whiffletree. The free end of the portion 13 is formed with a central slot 16, having ears 17 upon either side, with sockets on their under sides forming supports for a transverse pin 18 in the inner end of a hook member 19. The pin 18 is located a short distance from the inner extremity of the hook member 19 and will be located at the upper side of the hook member, so that the shorter end 20 lies flat upon the base portion 12 and will be held thereon with the spring force of the upper portion 13. The hook member 19 is curved upward at 21 and will be provided with a depending end 22, adapted to engage the aperture 11, as shown. The depending portion 22 is connected to the hook member 19 by an outwardly-curved portion 23, which outwardly-curved portion extends normally above the body of the whifl'letree and. provides a finger-grip by which the hook member may be actuated. The upwardly-curved portion 21 elevates the outer part of the hook and forms a bridge to extend over the upper portion of the trace, (indicated at 24,) so that no unnecessary projeetions are formed in the device. By this simple means the trace will be securely supported in place and any accidental displacement obviated, as the spring will be of suflicient strength to resist any strains which the spring-controlled hook would be liable to meet while the vehicle is in use.

It will be noted that the outer end of the upper section 13 does not extend as far as the corresponding end of the section 12, so that the outer portion of the section 12 forms a support for the inner end of the hook member 19, whereby the latter is held yieldably in place by the spring action of the portion 13. The extreme outer end of the portion 12 thus engages the under side of the hook member 19 and forms a fulcrum thereto, so that any pressure exerted upon the outer end of the hook member in the direction of the whifliletree will be resisted; but at the same time the hook is thereby rendered yieldable when pressure is exerted upon it inward or toward the whiffletree, while at the same time the shorter extended. end 20 likewise which may beexerted against the outer end of the book, but which will yield to a force sufficient to overcome the pressure of the spring and throw the hook over out of action. The spring force will be sufficient to resist any pressure to which the hook member would be liable to be subjected when in use, but, as before stated, will yield to a force sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring.

The device may be made of any required size to adapt it to different-sized vehicles and may be enlarged or decreased as to length or thickness and maybe modified in minor particulars without departing from the' principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. A device of the class described comprising a spring-plate having spaced ears provided with sockets in their under sides, and a hook member provided at its upper edge, near its inner end, with laterally-extending studs engaging said sockets.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a whiffletree attachment comprising a spring-plate formed of two leaves of unequal length folded together, the shorter of said leaves having spaced ears provided with internal sockets, and a hook member provided with transverse studs engaging said sockets and supported by the longer of said leaves, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a whifflet'ree attachment formed of two integral leaves of unequal length folded together, the

shorter of said leaves having spaced ears provided with internal sockets, and a hook member supported laterally between said ears and in engagement with the longer of said leaves and provided with transverse studs engaging said sockets, substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a whiffletree attachment comprising a spring-plate formed of two leaves of unequal length folded together, with the shorter of said leaves formed with spaced ears having internal sockets, and a hook member supported laterally between said ears and in engagement with the longer of said leaves and having a depending outer end, and with an offset between said depending end and said springplate, substantially as described.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a whiffietree attachment comprising a spring-plate formed of two leaves of unequal length folded together, the shorter of said leaves having spaced ears with downwardly-opening sockets at its free end, and a hook member provided with transverse studs near one end engaging said sockets and supported at each side of said stud by the longer of said leaves, whereby said hook member is supported yieldably from movement in both directions, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HAFER, SR. Witnesses:

LoUIs HAFER, FRANK CLENNY. 

